With the rise of modern science, three branches of scientific literature have evolved. The first branch involves the publication of original research in specialist journals. This may be considered the primary level of dissemination of scientific knowledge. The second branch involves the comparison and review of original research in generalist books, monographs, dictionaries and encyclopaedias. This may be considered the secondary level of dissemination of scientific knowledge. The third branch involves the publication of textbooks for academic education. The development of the internet has impacted very strongly on the primary and secondary levels of publishing. Today, scientific papers are commonly written, peerreviewed, and published globally within a few weeks. However, the system of textbook publication remains firmly rooted in the past, and typically depends on the willingness of a few exceptional individuals to devote many years of their life to the compilation of authoritative material. As a result of this solitary and time-consuming process, the transfer of knowledge from the primary and secondary levels to the tertiary level remains painfully slow. In response to this situation, and in partnership with the leading publishing house of Springer, a group of far-sighted individuals has agreed to join me in the establishment of a new type of journal whose purpose is to provide up-todate textbook chapters using the full power of the internet. This unique enterprise will be called ‘‘ChemTexts—The Textbook Journal of Chemistry’’. The idea first came to me when I observed students interacting with a textbook that I had recently published. It was clear that they preferred to download individual chapters of the textbook via the internet, rather than carry the full volume around with them. Furthermore, this method of delivery suggested the possibility of incorporating more contemporary material than was previously possible, by co-opting research specialists to write individual sections. Indeed, in this new scenario, all scientists could potentially contribute to textbook development by writing ‘‘small packages’’ rather than complete books. It is intended that the new journal will not only serve students, but also their teachers. For example, published texts will include diagrams and figures that can be used for lecturing. Animations and videos will also be possible. I am sure that every University Professor has a lecture of great immediacy that is suitable for conversion into minitextbook form. This is the material that we would like to capture, without burdening the author with a long-term commitment to a 300-page tome. The wider dissemination of such ‘‘hidden’’ material will also close the gap between ‘‘research authors’’ and ‘‘textbook authors’’. The publisher also offers the possibility of depositing the lecture in languages other than English (as supplementary material), and in that way allowing authors to serve their native communities in their own language. Of course, traditional textbooks will not disappear any time soon. They have their own raison d’etre and a long-established clientele. However, I believe this new venture will respond faster to academic needs, and will serve both students and professors more effectively, than existing modes of publication. Combining the speedy, but exacting, methods of research journals with those of academic textbooks can only improve the final product. All published lecture texts will be peer-reviewed. In short, I believe that ‘‘ChemTexts—The Textbook Journal of Chemistry’’ will pave the way to a new kind of scientific textbook of the highest quality. F. Scholz (&) Institut fur Biochemie, Universitat Greifswald, 17487 Greifswald, Germany e-mail: fscholz@uni-greifswald.de
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Mar 1, 2024
Anna Kostecka-Sadowa 
Open Access
